About the French Riviera

The French Riviera is located in the very south-east corner of France

The French Riviera, also known as the Côte d'Azur, is located in the south-eastern corner of the Provence, in the south of France. It is part of the administrative region of "Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur" (PACA), and spans 2 provinces or "departements": the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes.
The French Riviera is not a formally defined area, and it's borders are therefore not official; commonly though it is said to extend from St. Tropez in the west up to Menton in the east (effectively right up to the border with Italy, from where the Italian Riviera begins).
Nice is considered to be the capital of the French Riviera.

The region is of exceptional natural beauty, ranging from the pre-Alps in the Nice hinterland, down to the rocky shores of Monaco where the mountains plunge abruptly into the sea, to the red coloured rocks of the Esterel Massif and the sandy beaches of St. Tropez. The entire region has a Mediterranean climate, and the sea has a moderating effect on temperatures in all seasons, resulting in mild winters and warm to hot summers, with excessive heat being found only further west and northwest in the Provence.
The sun shines a lot in this region, and when the mistral blows and clears the skies, the light is of an exceptional beauty.

Culturally speaking, the region has a lot to offer too, in the form of the sleepy villages where time appears to have stood still, the many museums (indicative of how popular the region is and was with artists) and cultural events, many of world-wide fame, such as the Cannes Film Festival and the Jazz Festivals.

What about moving to the French Riviera, to live? Either to work or to retire?
Many people, especially from other, more northern European countries have settled here, and there is a large and lively expatriate community (communities really, as there are many different nationalities here). Of the 1.1 million inhabitants, 12% is of foreign origin.

On the pages on this website I will tell you about my personal experiences of living on the Côte d'Azur, based on my 20+ years of having called this region my home!